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The Unsung Hero (Troubleshooters #1)

4.05 of 5 stars 4.05 · rating details · 5,688 ratings · 332 reviews

After a near-fatal head injury, navy SEAL lieutenant Tom Paoletti catches a terrifying glimpse of an international terrorist in his New England hometown. When he calls for help, the navy dismisses the danger as injury-induced imaginings. In a desperate, last-ditch effort to prevent disaster, Tom creates his own makeshift counterterrorist team, assembling his most loyal off...more

Mass Market Paperback, 392 pages

Published June 6th 2000 by Ivy Books (first published 1998)

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Nov 11, 2010 Kerstin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: borrowed-from-library, contemporary-romance, read-in-2010, romantic-suspense

This is a book, I only picked up because I read so many great things about it around Goodreads. And I'm so glad I did, because I loved it!

In "The Unsung Hero" you get pretty much three romances in the one book, that are all connected by an overall storyline.
The main romance is between Tom, a Navy SEAL lieutenant, who is visiting his hometown after an injury, and Kelly, a paediatrician. They pretty much grew up with each other and both had a massive crush on the other one but nothing ever really...more

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Jul 08, 2010 Julie (Mom2lnb) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Fans of Military Romantic Suspense, Suzanne Brockmann, The Troubleshooters Series

Shelves: contemporary-romance, read-2010, romantic-suspense

Reviewed for THC Reviews
"3.5 stars" For quite some time now, I've been seeing rave reviews for Suzanne Brockmann's Troubleshooters series, so I finally decided to pick up The Unsung Hero. Unfortunately, when I finished reading it, I was left with very mixed feelings about nearly every aspect of the book. Rather than being a romance in which there is one primary hero and heroine with secondary characters to support them, it felt like there was an ensemble cast. The book has three separate “love”...more

14 likes · like · see review

Nov 19, 2008 ♡KarLynP♡ rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: romance suspense fans

Shelves: read-2008, audiobook, genre-suspense, genre-contemporary

A hard one to review as there were several story lines going on, but overall it was a very satisfying romance suspense novel with plenty of intrigue and interesting secondary characters. The main story centers around Tom and Kelly, who are reunited in their home town after 16 years.

What makes this book really good is the character development and the suspense storyline, but the romance itself is typical stuff with them getting to know each other again, a few small misunderstandings, and them de...more

9 likes · like · see review

Sep 11, 2011 Shelly rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook-version, favorites, romance-contemporary, romance-suspense

This is my 2nd time reading/listening to this book, and I still love it! I think I've grown to love Tom even more, and although I like Kelly, I'm not entirely convinced she deserves him! There's actually three love stories involved, Tom and Kelly are the main couple. Tom's niece Mallory falls in love as well, with geeky but adorable David. And then the historical romance, something Brockmann is well known for putting in her books.

This time it's a three way between Tom's Uncle Joe, Kelly's dad Ch...more This is my 2nd time reading/listening to this book, and I still love it! I think I've grown to love Tom even more, and although I like Kelly, I'm not entirely convinced she deserves him! There's actually three love stories involved, Tom and Kelly are the main couple. Tom's niece Mallory falls in love as well, with geeky but adorable David. And then the historical romance, something Brockmann is well known for putting in her books.

This time it's a three way between Tom's Uncle Joe, Kelly's dad Charles, and the woman they both love but neither could have, Cybele. This is a heart wrenching part of the story, Joe, the ultimate nice guy is in love with Cybele, fighting alongside her for years during WWII in France with the Resistance. Cybele, a young widow already wants nothing to do with love, only to kill Nazis. But then they rescue a wounded Charles Ashton, and it's love at first sight Cybele and Charles. Except Charles is already married and fast becoming friends with Joe. It's the one secret they have between them, and in all their years as friends, 65 to be exact, they never speak of it until Charles learns he's dying. I wanted to cry for them all, Cybele for being so young and already losing her husband and baby to the Nazis is determined not to be vulnerable again. Joe, ah, Joe! Joe has never gotten over Cybele, never married. And Charles wanted to love Cybele, but in 1942, divorcing the wife you just married because you got her pregnant wasn't the thing to do.

Then you have Tom and Kelly. Kelly has pined for Tom for years, but when Tom finally realizes he's in love with her, he's afraid he's going crazy too, from seeing a terrorist every one thinks is dead. This weighs on him heavily, and seeing him be so vulnerable and open made me just fall harder for him. Kelly is too afraid of love, and I don't feel she has that good of a reason. Yes, Charles is not a very affectionate father, but neither was he abusive. I guess we are to believe neglect is the main fear, but I just don't see it. Ultimately Kelly admits to loving him, but their relationship doesn't seem settled yet, and I know from reading the rest of the series, it's not settled until book 2 or 3, not sure.

Mallory and David are cute, but their romance happens a little fast, and reading about an 18-year old girl lose her virginity to a 20-year old guy, when she's not even told him she's still a virgin is a little creepy for me. He's great with her, but the fact it wasn't discussed prior bothered me. Of course, just like David, we were to assume by Mallory's reputation and attitude she wasn't one, but I still think the conversation taking place just before sex would have made it a little less weird.

We get introduced to Sam/Roger/Houston/Ringo Starett and Alyssa Locke! Their romance is so great because we get to see it develop over several books!!! Usually we get the back story within the romance, but here we get to see it all happen, over several years! It's a bit angsty in parts, but when they finally get together it's book magic!! Plus Alyssa is not your typical white girl heroine, something I wish a lot more authors did, or in reality, a lot more publishers/readers would embrace! No, Alyssa is described as somewhat of a Vanessa Williams type, but better! The fact that her and Sam hate each other when we first meet them, well, that makes it all the better for later! We also meet Jazz, who still hasn't had a book in the 16 book series yet! I can't wait for that!

If you like the military heroes (and heroines, Alyssa is an LT in the Navy!), the suspense and great characters, you can't go wrong with this series!(less)

7 likes · like · see review

Feb 04, 2009 Stephanie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: medium-hot-romantic-suspense, susan-brockmann

Okay, I finished the book last night at about 10:30!

I loved this book after about page 150. I was a little slow at first. That may be b/c I have been reading a lot of Lora Leigh, girl doesn't waste any time, if ya know what I mean!

Very few books make me cry, but this one did. I love a book that stays with you for a while after you finish. Unsung Hero has managed to do just that! I cannot wait to get into the rest of the series.

Tom is a very likable hero with flaws. Kelly is a great character, w...more

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Jan 28, 2010 Rossy rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: romantic suspense fans

Recommended to Rossy by: Mrs. Soule

Shelves: challenge-pifm-2010, challenge-144-books-2010, challenge-cont-series-2010

I almost want to shake myself for waiting so long to start this series. Fantastic story and can't wait to start the next book. I almost wish i can call in sick to work and just continue reading, but at least i'll be able to pick up the rest of the books i don't have at my bookstore today.

4 likes · like · see review

Sep 26, 2012 Gwenith rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I LOVED THIS 4.5 STAR AMAZING TALE IT TOOK ME ON A JOURNEY THAT WAS SIMPLY SPENDID~"

"This Book Was My Buddy, My Pal for 2 days~I Love It! I dragged it EVERYWHERE and I'm so happy I did not earn any bruises while walking and reading at the same time~I just did not want to put it down~

The Book~

The book flows with 3 Love Affairs that intertwine to make one intriguing story and a really BEAUTIFUL ENDING~

The Love Affairs~ IMO

♥Tom & Kelly ~Sweet as all get out!
♥Mallory & David~Adorable!
♥Joe...more

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Mar 23, 2008 Isis FG rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: genre-romance-suspense, reviewed, favs-reread, info-full, series-troubleshooters, author-suzanne-brockmann, stars-4, 2006

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. ** spoiler alert ** One of a handful of books that made me cry. And not just get teary eyed, but actually cry.

This one is the first book in Brockmann's Navy SEAL Team 16 series. I got this one to read after randomly reading the 6th book in the series.

Anyway, good book. It's about team commander Tom Paoletti who is on medical leave after sustaining a head injury in a helicopter explosion. He has residual dizziness, and possibly paranoia as side effects. So he goes back to his hometown where he w...more ** spoiler alert ** One of a handful of books that made me cry. And not just get teary eyed, but actually cry.

This one is the first book in Brockmann's Navy SEAL Team 16 series. I got this one to read after randomly reading the 6th book in the series.

Anyway, good book. It's about team commander Tom Paoletti who is on medical leave after sustaining a head injury in a helicopter explosion. He has residual dizziness, and possibly paranoia as side effects. So he goes back to his hometown where he was once a tot...more One of a handful of books that made me cry. And not just get teary eyed, but actually cry.

This one is the first book in Brockmann's Navy SEAL Team 16 series. I got this one to read after randomly reading the 6th book in the series.

Anyway, good book. It's about team commander Tom Paoletti who is on medical leave after sustaining a head injury in a helicopter explosion. He has residual dizziness, and possibly paranoia as side effects. So he goes back to his hometown where he was once a total bad boy. At the same time he's there, the girl he was in love with as a 19 year old (she was 15...they only ever kissed) has returned home to take care of her dying father (she's a doc.). At the airport, Tom thinks he sees a man who is a terrorist known as The Merchant. The only problem is the Merchant is thought dead. Tom doesn't know whether he really saw him or his head injury made him think he did. The book, then, is about his romance with Kelly, and the terrorist.

Brockmann's style in these books is a little difficult to get used to. The book isn't just about the male/female pairing and the suspense plot. She actively uses supporting characters as more than just people to move the story along. They have full-fledged roles and romances...not as focused on as the main two, but still fairly major roles. Sometimes they are other members of Team 16, sometimes they are relatives of the other characters. Also in the 2 books I've read, she has sections that look back on some point in the past. With this book, it was scenes involving Kelly's father and Tom's great-uncle and their time as spies in WW2 France.

At first, it's a little difficult to keep your head in the book because the scenes are going back and forth between all the characters involved and the history scenes. But then once you get into all the stories being told, you don't really mind. There was a really great romance between Tom's niece, and this geek named David. The history scenes were interesting, maybe longer than they needed to be, but they were a pretty big part of the story as they explained why Kelly's father and Joe's uncle acted the way they did, which in turn played a role in how the book ended. So everything tied together.

The end made me cry. It was so sad/tragic/poignant. And absolutely fitting. I think I liked it better than the other one I read, #6, but I'm not sure. The books are in a way very connected. The characters don't just pop up in their individual book, they have roles in the other books. The male/female lead from #6 are first introduced in #1, and the male/female lead from #1 are major players in #6. It adds a completely new aspect to the 6th book (which is why they should be read in order). So I kinda see some of the things from #6 in a different light now that I've read #1(less)

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Jan 03, 2008 Kathrynn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: series-troubleshooters_brockmann, own, 2007, romance-suspense, theme-uniform, reviewed

Book #1 in this series.
I enjoyed this one. There are two romances building in this story. One between Mallory and David and the other between the "main characters" of Tom (SEAL) and Kelly (pediatrician). Also, there was a retelling of a romance gone bad from 1944 (WWII). There were a few places when the book kinda dragged for me, sometimes the shifting between stories was annoying.

But, I liked it well enough to continue reading this series...:-)

3 likes · like · see review

Dec 21, 2012 Mike (the Paladin) rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: action

AAAAAIIIIIIEEEEEE!!!!!!! I bought this piece of #@*&%@#!

By the way...I need to make a new shelf...advertised as action. The synopsis of this book gives us a stirring picture of an injured/ex Navy Seal who sees an international terrorist and can't get anyone to listen. So he forms his own force and goes after said terrorist.

In reality we get a great opening scene that seems to set up an action book that moves directly into a moony Seal who has been dreaming over the girl from high school who...more

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Mar 13, 2012 Ian rated it 3 of 5 stars

The Unsung Hero is a good book which had a few problems. The Ashton family and the Paoletti family have been linked since Joe Paoletti and Charles Ashton served together in occupied France during WW2. Tom Paoletti returns to his hometown where he runs headlong into Kelly Ashton the woman he loved and left many years earlier. She is recently divorced and looking to rekindle their relationship.
Perhaps the most interesting story in this book is that of Mallory Paoletti and David Sullivan. It's the...more

1 like · like · see review

Mar 26, 2012 Leea rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Leea by: Regina

Shelves: series, romantic-suspense

Buddy Read, Wendy

3.5 stars…

Before starting the Troubleshooters I was told time and time again how “dated’ the first two books in this series are. Problem is I really liked Unsung Hero I may be in the minority here.

In Unsung Hero we meet Tom an injured on medical leave SEAL lieutenant. He’s coming home for some R & R. Problem is he finds his long lost love Kelly there. This story is not just about Tom and Kelly getting to know each other there are 3 other storylines that are just as engaging....more

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Aug 14, 2008 Tina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance-contemporary

This is the First of the Troubleshooters/SEAL tem 16 series.

Tom Paoletti is the CO of the SEAL team 16. After a rescue gone awry that resulted in him being a coma from head injuries, Tom is put on medical leave for 30 days. As he arrives home, he learns that his uncle is being honored as a WWII hero, he begins a romance with Kelly Ashton, the sexy doctor from next door and he catches glimpse of a long pursued,international terrorist known as The Merchant. Tom immediately alerts his superiors. Ho...more This is the First of the Troubleshooters/SEAL tem 16 series.

Tom Paoletti is the CO of the SEAL team 16. After a rescue gone awry that resulted in him being a coma from head injuries, Tom is put on medical leave for 30 days. As he arrives home, he learns that his uncle is being honored as a WWII hero, he begins a romance with Kelly Ashton, the sexy doctor from next door and he catches glimpse of a long pursued,international terrorist known as The Merchant. Tom immediately alerts his superiors. However, The Merchant is believed to be dead and that, coupled with Tom's recent head injury (and an Admiral who totally hates Tom), makes them believe he is suffering from delusions and paranoia. Tom himself isn't so sure that he's not going crazy. But repeated sightings convinces him there is a real threat. Knowing he is on he own he calls in a few members of his team to help him out.

In the meantime, Kelly's father who is best friends with Tom's uncle Joe is dying from terminal cancer. The two friends met while both were behind enemy lines during WWII. The two men share years of memories of a very special French Resistance fighter with whom they were both in love (and still are).

And Tom's niece Mallory embarks upon a sweet romance with a nerdy graphic novelist who wants to use her as his muse for his latest book.

I decided to do a re-read of Suzanne Brockmann's Troubleshooters series in honor of the most recent and 13th book of the series, Into the Fire. That and the fact that I really hadn't re-read any of the books.

I remember when I first read this book. I had never read a Brockmann book before and, at the time this book was produced, I hadn't encountered any other books that used the military as a backdrop so thoroughly. I like her use of the salty language, the military argot and the camaraderie and trust that is built within the team.

I also like the multiple storylines. As the series went on, I soon learned that this was a hallmark of Brockmann's storytelling. She writes a main romance pairing the primary H/H. And then she includes a secondary romantic couple, one that usually runs as an arc through several books before culminating in a book of their own, and finally she includes a flashback story the centers on a WWII romance that has a connection to the people in current time. The multi-line/ long arc storytelling is right up my alley. I always likes series because I enjoy re-visiting characters. I also think it gives the author the luxury of building a depth of character that they simply can't achieve usually in a single volume.

Having Tom, the CO of the SEAL 16 team feature in the first book is a great choice. Tom is the center around which they all revolve. He is the one they all love and respect. In this first book we get first glimpses of characters who will over the course of the series become very familiar: Jazz, Wildcard, Johnny Nilsson, Chief Stan etc.

And this brings me to Sam and Alyssa. This is the book where we first meet Sam and Alyssa, the breakout couple of the series. Their angsty romance runs in the background for the next four books until book six when they get their own story. Even back when I read the book for the first time, not knowing what Brockmann had in store for S&A, I knew these two had chemistry. I like it when a writer plants these little seeds early on so that you can watch something grow over time. Brockmann is great at that and it is part of what makes this series a must read for me.

I highly recommend.(less)

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Nov 13, 2011 Riona [Dizzy Izzy Book Reviews] rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: suzanne-brockmann, to-read-short-list, series, audio-book, digital-library-has-it, ebook, first-in-series, military-hero, owned, romance, second-chances, threads-of-history, reviewed

This is the first book in Suzanne Brockmann's Troubleshooters series.

This is Tom and Kelly's story.

Tom is the Lieutenant of the Navy SEAL's Team 16. After a head injury that put him in the hospital and in a coma, he is forced to take leave. Tom decides to go visit his uncle, who happens to live on the grounds of Kelly Ashton and her father.

Tom's head injury has lead his superiors to believe that the terrorist Tom saw in his hometown isn't actually there. He's got the support of his uncle, his un...more

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Tina "coffee and books" I see that you listened to this? I am thinking about downloading it. Would you recommend this book based on the narration, as well as the story?
Jul 30, 2012 10:31am

Riona [Dizzy Izzy Book Reviews] I like listening to books because I have an incredibly long commute to and from work. I don't remember the specifics of this particular narration, but...more
Aug 10, 2012 01:37pm

Tina "coffee and books" I am a huge audio fan. I've listened to hundreds of books on audio and for the most part have had a really good experience. There have been a few that...more
Aug 10, 2012 02:17pm

Mar 11, 2012 Drucilla rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: b

Troubleshooter books almost always have three love stories running through them in addition to the action plot.

The main romance(Tom and Kelly): I liked it. I thought it was sweet and I liked how the author worked in the history between them both.

The secondary romance(David and Mallory): Definitely my favorite part of the book. David and Mallory are great characters and their chemistry and interactions are great. (They're the reason I gave this book 4 stars!)

The WWII romance: I didn't like it. I...more

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Apr 21, 2011 Gladys (glad4twilight) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: military-romance

So that was one hell of a hot sex in the closet scene! I gave it a 5 just for that, what a great book with an amazing ending. I really liked the characters and their storylines even though one story was a little vague and unimportant the main 2 storylines made up for it. The content of one of the stories was little silly at times but I really love her writing style and how she gets into her characters minds, she is also very funny and the way she describes her Navy Seals and their lingo is perfe...more

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Jun 14, 2009 Kris H. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: navy-seals, romantic-suspense-adventure, suzanne-brockman, troubleshooters

I actually was a little bored with almost the first half of this book. Three romances are featured--one with the main protagonist, Tom, a Navy SEAL on leave after a traumatic head injury and his secret childhood love, Kelly. Another takes place in the past and features Tom's great uncle and Kelly's father and the woman both of them loved. The last, and in some ways, most compelling romance features Tom's neice, Mallory and comic book artist, geek, David. It was a slow build on all three relation...more

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Sep 01, 2007 Writerlibrarian rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read2007, romance, august-pile

Action romance novel. Suzanne Brockmann understands and loves military men. This is the first novel in her troubleshooters/Navy Seals series and we get a strong male lead in Lt. Tommy Paoletti, a compelling female lead in Dr. Kelly Ashton but it's the depth of the secondary characters that moves this romance novel a cut above the rest. Mallory Paoletti, Tommy's niece courtship with David, Tommy's "crew" even if they are there for only a moment have great potential and add the life long friendshi...more

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May 24, 2012 Xenos rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: best

After recently reading a number of Navy SEAL/Spec Ops books and always comparing them to Suzanne Brockmann's "Troubleshooters" series -- to which they inevitably came up short -- I started to wonder if I had been romanticizing about just how good Ms. Brockmann's novels actually were. They were, after all, my first Navy SEAL books. Did I just think they were great because they were my first? Was I just remembering them through rose-colored glasses...er, night-vision goggles? Maybe these new SEAL/...more

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Apr 30, 2011 Hannah M. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010-read, books-i-own, fiction, romance

The Unsung Hero is the first book in Suzanne Brockmann’s Troubleshooters series. Navy SEAL Tom Paoletti is forced to take medical leave after a near-fatal head injury. He decides to head home for the month off, but when he’s in his small hometown in Massachusettes he spots a terrorist. When he calls his superiors for help with the situation he is brushed off because the man he thinks he saw is on the presumed dead list. While Tom is home he struggles with the unknown. Is the man he saw really ju...more The Unsung Hero is the first book in Suzanne Brockmann’s Troubleshooters series. Navy SEAL Tom Paoletti is forced to take medical leave after a near-fatal head injury. He decides to head home for the month off, but when he’s in his small hometown in Massachusettes he spots a terrorist. When he calls his superiors for help with the situation he is brushed off because the man he thinks he saw is on the presumed dead list. While Tom is home he struggles with the unknown. Is the man he saw really just a civilian, or is he a terrorist responsible for the deaths of over 900 people?

The plausibility of Tom’s small hometown being targeted by an international terrorist is not the only problem he has to face. Kelly Ashton, who’s father is best friends with Tom’s Uncle Joe, asks Tom to step in and help the two older gentleman settle a dispute they are having over finally speaking up about what happened to the two men during World War II. Kelly also happens to be the love that Tom ran away from all those years ago and he tries to distance himself from her,but Kelly wants no part of that. She’s got her mind set, and its time for Tom to stop viewing her as the “nice girl.” Tom’s sister, known by many as a screw-up in the town of Baldwin’s Bridge asks him to deal with Mallory, his neice.

There is a lot going on in The Unsung Hero, but it is not difficult to follow. Brockmann’s execution of the different story lines is flawless – at least it is in my opinion. Overall, I loved this book, it was very enjoyable. Brockmann had me laughing, crying, and sighing.

There are actually two developing romances in the story, that of Tom and Kelly, and also Tom’s neice Mallory with David Sullivan. The two relationships were different, which I really liked, and its not just because of the age difference between the two couples. Tom and Kelly were attracted to each other as teenagers, but because Kelly was younger than Tom, and too young by his standers, as well as innocent, he ran from her. Now that the two are older, and Kelly is divorced, Tom has no excuse to run this time. The relationship between Mallory and David is different, and awesome if I may say so myself. David approaches Mallory when he realizes she would be the perfect model for his new graphic novel character, Nightshade. Mallory wants nothing to do with the totally dorky David, but he is persistent, and eventually romance buds between the two.

Another component to the story is the argument between Joe and Charles. The two are in disagreement over their past in World War II and there are flashbacks to the war so that you can understand what it is the two men are fighting about. What happened during the was was actually one of the more emotional points of the story for me because of the fact that I have several family members who have served in wars. There is a lot of soul in that piece.

When everything comes together with the romances, the two old men, and the possible terrorist threat that the small town is facing, its a great read. The last chunk of the book is where all of the terrorist action is, so up until that point its more getting to know the characters, Tom dealing with his family and injury, and all the background that you need to know for the ending to make sense. All in all, an enjoyable read and I look forward to continuing the series.(less)

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Oct 06, 2010 Sueij rated it 4 of 5 stars

I absolutely love this series. It's 16 incredibly well-written romances, with heavy doses of suspense and action thrown in.

This first story is Tom and Kelly's story (and they show up off and on throughout all 16 or so books). Tom is a Navy SEAL, although he's on medical leave and so we don't learn too much about the SEALs. Brockmann weaves a great balance between the H/H's past history and present lives. Brockmann is also a master at weaving secondary stories into the main storyline. In this no...more

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Jul 08, 2010 MaggieReadsRom rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites-2009, romantic-suspense

A summary of the book is hard to give since there is so much going on in the book. Not necessarily action wise as much as character wise and plot wise. The actual story takes place in one week, from August 8 until August 15. In this week we get to know Tom Paoletti and Kelly Ashton and some of their family members. With the flashbacks to WWII and the glimpses of Tom and Kelly’s youths, a time period of close to 60 years is covered.
Kelly had a crush on Tom when she was a young girl but before the...more

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Jul 02, 2010 Lisa (Harmonybites) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Fans of Romantic Suspense and Contemporary Romance

Recommended to Lisa (Harmonybites) by: The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Ultimate Reading List

Shelves: contemporary, romance, suspense, ultimate-reading-list, fiction, novels

After reading several wretched novels on a romance book recommendation list, this contemporary novel of "romantic suspense" set in the Boston area was a relief. The novel features some of the usual overwriting found in the romance genre about the gorgeousness of the lead characters, but not quite as incessant as in most. Likable leading characters at that: both over 30 for once and both career professionals--Tom Paoletti, a Navy SEAL officer, and Kelly Ashton, a divorced doctor. There were even...more

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Apr 07, 2010 Srisurang rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary

ดีมากๆ ประทับใจ ซาบซึ้ง น่าติดตามทุกตอน
ไม่ได้อ่านหนังสือที่ให้ความรู้สึกแบบนี้มาตั้งนาน แบบที่ต้องละเลียดอ่านทุกหน้า และให้ความรู้สึกดีตลอด ทำให้รู้สึกถึงคุณค่าของชีวิต และคนที่เรารัก
เป็นเรื่องของครอบครัว รุ่นปู่+พ่อ รุ่นลูก และหลาน สามรุ่น แต่เล่าแบบซ้อนสลับกันไป ภาคของปู่เป็นการระลึกความทรงจำเป็นช่วงๆ แต่ชอบทั้งสามรุ่นเลย จบแบบรู้สึกอิ่มดีค่ะ

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Jan 16, 2013 Kris rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: navy-seals, family-drama, romantic-suspense, suspense

3.5 STARS

"After a near-fatal head injury, navy SEAL lieutenant Tom Paoletti catches a terrifying glimpse of an international terrorist in his New England hometown. When he calls for help, the navy dismisses the danger as injury-induced imaginings. In a desperate, last-ditch effort to prevent disaster, Tom creates his own makeshift counterterrorist team, assembling his most loyal officers, two elderly war veterans, a couple of misfit teenagers, and Dr. Kelly Ashton-the sweet "girl next door" who...more

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Feb 21, 2012 Chauntika rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: really-liked-it, adult, adult-romantic-suspense, 2012

I liked this one, but didn't love it.

Here are the things I liked:

Mallory and David. Eighteen-year-old Mallory Paoletti and her mother are viewed as trashy and low class in their little affluent New England community. In fact, the whole Paoletti family is looked down upon. David Sullivan is this twenty-something geeky, college student/comic book creator who wants to draw Mallory for his new comic series.

If the whole book was about Mallory and David it would have been a 4-star read. Their romanc...more

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Apr 16, 2011 Becky Moe rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary

Wow, just wow. The first in Brockmann's Troubleshooter series, The Unsung Hero was a fantastic read. It had it all--action, drama, romance, human relationships, history--and was a whole lot of fun to read. If I'd had the time to read this all in one sitting, I'd have loved to; as it was, when I wasn't reading this book I was thinking about it and figuring out how soon I could finish what I HAD to do to get back to it. I loved all the characters--they were well written, believable people who you'...more

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Nov 18, 2009 Wicked Incognito Now rated it 4 of 5 stars

I have seen Suzanne Brockmann raved about all over the romblogland. However, every time I go to check out her books I think...Navy SEALS? Suspense/thrillers? Multiple story arcs within the novels? Super long series that I need to backtrack and start from the beginning?

Bleh. Not my cup of tea.

But one too many blogger, bloggers whose tastes are similar to my own, sang her praises so I decided to give this first novel in the Troubleshooters series a try......

WHOA!

Can Suzanne Brockmann tell a story...more I have seen Suzanne Brockmann raved about all over the romblogland. However, every time I go to check out her books I think...Navy SEALS? Suspense/thrillers? Multiple story arcs within the novels? Super long series that I need to backtrack and start from the beginning?

Bleh. Not my cup of tea.

But one too many blogger, bloggers whose tastes are similar to my own, sang her praises so I decided to give this first novel in the Troubleshooters series a try......

WHOA!

Can Suzanne Brockmann tell a story? Yes indeedy. All of my misgivings proved unfounded. I'm sick to death of suspense taking over my romance novels. I'm tired of serial killers, murders, mysteries, danger, kidnappings. I'm really into emotional development at this point. But Brockmann definitely does not skimp on the emotional development in this story, and she certainly doesn't let her suspense storyline hijack her romance.

Military thriller? SO not my thing. I went through a Tom Clancy/ Robert Ludlum-esque phase. I'm over it and being a military spouse myself, could do with a little less military talk in my life. But the military stuff didn't overwhelm this story either.

The CHARACTERS ran this story. Imagine that. A plot or setting that is not contrived to run the characters, but characters that actually run the plot. Leaving the reader DYING to know what they will decide to do next, instead of leaving the reader pretty sure what they will do next because she's read this trope before and can see their actions coming a mile away.

Also, I usually can't STAND secondary storylines in my romance. Susan Elizabeth Phillips always has a secondary romance going on, and I always flip through those parts. It irritates me that they distract me from the main event and I just don't want them there.

BUT, I was really surprised to find that the secondary storylines in this novel ENGAGED me. I wanted them there. I wanted to know what was going to happen. Tom and Kelly are the stars of the story, but Mallory and David had the most poignant love story in the novel. Joe and Charles had a flashback story that broke my heart, and the end had me in tears.

This is just an excellent, well-rounded, well-told, beautifully characterized story. I can't wait for the next in the series.(less)

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Jan 20, 2011 foo4luv rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, romance, mystery-thriller-suspense

Although it may seem odd that I'm actually admitting to reading not just one romance book but an entire series, these are a guilty pleasure. The books in Brockmann's Troubleshooters series have everything that her shorter works lack: well-developed characters, more believable storylines ("more" being the operative word -- this is romantic fiction, you know), and sometimes it actually takes more than one book for a couple to get together. I like the ones in which the romance is a side story, not...more

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Aug 19, 2011 Meg Kinch rated it 4 of 5 stars

Great book, great story. There was a lot going on in this book. It had the romance, suspense, and good emotions. It sucked you in and kept you there. However, I didn't particularly care for the heroine, Kelly, all that much. I found her to be a bit insensitive and even though it was brought up a lot that she was the nice girl, but wanted to be bad, I didn't think of her as a nice girl at all. Her attitude and stuff just really kind of sucked. The hero, Tom, was absolutely great and I loved him....more

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About Suzanne Brockmann

Suzanne Brockmann is the author of nearly 50 romance and romantic suspense novels, including her wildly popular 15-books-and-counting Troubleshooters series. She also wrote the popular Tall, Dark & Dangerous series for Silhouette Intimate Moments.

In her free time she likes to sing and do volunteer work. She is a proud member of PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) as well...more

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“You can't choose who you love, Kelly, but you can waste it. Why on earth would anyone want to waste it?” — 5 people liked it

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The Unsung Hero (Troubleshooters #1)

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